(1.) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for recognizing a polarity of polarized capacitors, particularly of tantalum and aluminum electrolytic capacitors in the automatic equipping of printed circuitboards and ceramic substrates, and is also related to an apparatus for implementation of the method.
(2.) Description of the Prior Art
In the automatic equipping of printed circuitboards and ceramic substrates with electronic components, such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, chips and the like, the various components are offered in laterally arranged feeder devices. The removal of the component then occurs via an equipping head which grasps the respective component offered in a removal position, centers the component with the assistance of four forceps-like levers arranged in pairs, and deposits the component on a predetermined location of the printed circuitboard or of the ceramic substrate. The equipping reliability obtainable with such automatic equipping units known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,630, fully incorporated herein by this reference, critically depends on the equipping head program for the removal position of the feeder devices always encountering the components in the proper position and likewise depositing the components in the proper position in the programmed equipping position of the printed circuitboard or of the ceramic substrate.
In the equipping head disclosed in the German application No. A 3 102 206, at least the lower end of the suction pipette serving the purpose of picking up the components is composed of an electrically nonconductive material, whereby the forceps-shaped ends of the levers interacting with the electronic component are arranged in an electrically insulated fashion. As a result of this measure, a defined current can be supplied via a pair of levers or a defined voltage can be applied via a pair of levers. In particular, there is the possibility of measuring or, respectively, testing the electrical characteristics of the component respectively seized by the equipping head. However, a recognition of the polarity of polarized capacitors that is absolutely necessary for automatic equipping is not possible with this equipping head since suitable electrical recognition methods have been heretofore unknown.